Ad Disclosure
Nick Saban heaps praise on Alabama junior DB Minkah Fitzpatrick
By Adam Spencer
Published:
There’s not much one can say about Alabama junior DB Minkah Fitzpatrick that hasn’t already been said.
As a sophomore in 2016, Fitzpatrick intercepted six passes, returning two for touchdowns, and also had 66 tackles (5.5 for a loss).
However, on Wednesday, Alabama coach Nick Saban heaped even more praise on his talented defensive back, telling AL.com that Fitzpatrick is one of the best players he’s ever coached:
“Minkah does it as well as anybody I ever coached in terms of how he works every day, how he finishes plays, his conditioning level,” Saban said. “Just phenomenal. Just phenomenal…It’s important to him. He makes sure he knows what to do.”
Saban wasn’t done yet, though, and continued by praising Fitzpatrick’s work ethic in practice. He said he hopes other players continue to follow Fitzpatrick’s lead:
“A lot of players who are good players, I have heard them say, ‘I am saving it for the game,'” Saban explained. “Every single one of those players and all those teams I have been on when players say that, ain’t none of them been worth a s–t…. He doesn’t do that.
“He works every day to get better and I hope we have more and more players that work like him because when you have players who do that you usually have a pretty good team. He sets a great example and we are excited to be able to utilize him in a lot of different ways.”
Fitzpatrick is set to start at one of the two safety positions this fall after splitting time between corner and safety last year.
If he continues to play up to his potential, he’s a lock to be a first-round pick in the 2018 NFL Draft next April.
Adam is a daily fantasy sports (DFS) and sports betting expert. A 2012 graduate of the University of Missouri, Adam now covers all 16 SEC football teams. He is the director of DFS, evergreen and newsletter content across all Saturday Football brands.
